Matron grows vegetables and fruit in a Hampshire garden. I've been growing veggies since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Some traditional varieties and old favourites as well as new ideas. I share my garden with my allotment assistant Daisy the Labrador. On Twitter as @MatronsVeggies

Sunday, February 02, 2014

Seville Orange Marmalade Part 1

For just a few short weeks at this time of year the bitter Seville Oranges are on sale. As the allotment is currently under water, it seems that making marmalade is a good way to pass the time indoors.

The outer zest takes quite a bit of cooking to soften properly so I snip it into thin strips.

This whole process is quite labour intensive but needs to be prepared well.

Seville oranges have an amazing number of pips to remove. Probably 2 to 3 pips in each segment to remove. These will be placed in a muslin bag during cooking to release their pectin.

But the pips contain a large quantity of pectin which is what helps the jelly set when cooking. I soak the chopped fruit and pips in half the quantity of water for 24 hours to help the pectin come out of the fruit before cooking. More tomorrow.

I have been wanting to make marmalade for a while but the written directions seem a little daunting. One question I have, You talk of using the peel, fruit, pips. I notice there seems to bee a rather thick pith showing in your photos. Do you cut the fruit out and discard the excess pith? Can't wait for the rest of your marmalade post.

About Me

I was born 20 yards from our allotment. My parents used to 'dig for victory' and never got out of the habit. I grew up on an allotment, so growing veggies is a way of life. I am also qualified as a dog behaviourist and I have set up my own business, www.blackdogdna.com